The Anthropocene

Relating to or denoting the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment.

Have we crossed into a new geological and biological epoch? Perhaps. There is some debate as to when humans began to overpower the earth, at least the surface 1% of it. Global warming has only been on the radar screen, for most of us, for a few decades. Some scholars though date the anthropocene from the onset of the industrial revolution, and perhaps even the dawn of agriculture thousands of years ago.

Traveling around the Blackstone River Valley of central Massachusetts, one gets the definite sense that it’s been going on for a while. I’ve been immersed in issues related to sustainability for the past year or so as part of my work at Babson College. This valley, where I now live, reveals an interesting story of the industrial revolution and its impact, one that I will be talking and photographing more about over the next several years.

I’ll with just a simple image of a rather iconic location in the Valley, the dam at the Mumford River that created the mill ponds that powered Whitin Machine Works.

The Whitin Machine Works was founded in 1831. It ultimately became one of the largest textile machinery factories in the world, employing over 5000 people at its peak in the late 1940’s. It’s been out of business since 1976, victim of changing business conditions. Obviously, here, there was an impact on the environment, though nothing we aren’t used to seeing. Perhaps not such a big deal, though we can imagine that the river was ultimately quite polluted. Consider though, courtesy of Google Earth, the bigger picture.

When I took the first image I was standing on the sidewalk of the roadway you see in the lower right hand corner. Note how the dam has changed the surrounding geography, for miles. The dam no longer provides power for the mill, but it shaped a landscape that those in the community came to accept and with which they are now powerfully linked. The next time you see a dam, consider what’s behind it. This is one dam. More to come.

(I want to give full credit to my colleague at Babson College, Professor Joanna Carey, for the fundamental ideas behind this series on dams in New England.)

Welcome to the environmental photography and sustainability blog of James M. Hunt. Chris, my wife, and I care deeply about our natural environment and in particular those places, beings and phenomena that may not get the attention that they deserve, in spite of their importance. Since the places we tend to frequent may receive a bit less attention, we're often engaged in a process of discovery ourselves. We'll let you know here something of what we learn along the way. Thanks for taking the time to join us.

All images on this site are copyright (c) James M. Hunt, 2010 through 2018 all rights are reserved. No use of any image posted here without written consent.
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FINE ART PRINTING OF WESTBOROUGH
James is also the proprietor of Fine Art Printing of Westborough, a printing, scanning, and photo restoration business operating in Westborough, Massachusetts. You can see the link below. Inquiries are welcomed!